Agricultural Trade Evaluation Advisor

Job Description

Scope of Work

Position: Agricultural Trade Evaluation Advisor

Reports to: Associate Vice President, Trade and Enterprise

Location: Washington, DC, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador

Level of Effort: 7 to 10 intermittent days or 56 to 80 hours

Period of Performance: November 28, 2022 to June 30, 2023

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress (FFPr) funded Horticulture Uplifting and Energizing Resiliency through Trade (La Huerta) project aims to address root causes of migration via a holistic approach to trade via the horticulture sector. The project is focusing on implementing international and risk-based Sanitary and Phytosanitary Regulations (SPS) measures, implement measures under the existing World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreements (TFA), and assist in strengthening Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) through development and transfer of agriculture technologies that focus on effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly use of agricultural resources which focus on the high value horticulture value chains in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The project will hire a third-party monitoring and evaluation firm to undertake a Baseline Study to evaluate the 23 indicators and establish baselines for several of the indicators. IESC is seeking the expertise of an agricultural trade expert to ensure the terms of reference and baseline study drafts benefits from the technical specific feedback in support of IESC and project-level monitoring and evaluation plan.

The work is to be a desk study, intermittent between November 2022 and June 2023. The advisor will manage her/his time within the allocated number of total billable days.

General Objective

To provide IESC’s La Huerta Project’s monitoring and evaluation efforts agricultural trade expertise to ensure a clear, robust baseline study terms of reference strategic technical guidance in accordance with USDA requirements and consistent with proposed activities and completed client negotiations.

Background

Within six months after both parties have signed this agreement, or a longer time if agreed upon in writing by the Recipient and USDA Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), IESC must submit the results of the baseline study to CCC and request that the Performance Indicators, Attachment D, be updated to incorporate such results. IESC will procure a third party, independent MEL services firm to conduct the baseline study, and follow up midterm and final evaluations. The procurement process will include a review of the final terms of reference, technical evaluations of proposals, and peer review of outline and drafts of the baseline study prior to its submission to USDA in close coordination with IESC’s MEL Director.

Detailed Responsibilities

The Agricultural Trade Evaluation Advisor is expected to complete the following tasks associated with this scope of work:

• Review the following documents and secondary information as well as other documents identified and cited during the process:
  • La Huerta Performance Monitoring Plan;
  • La Huerta Evaluation Plan;
  • Food Assistance Indicators and Definitions Foreign Agricultural Service Food Assistance Division, United States Department of Agriculture (Feb 2019);
  • USAID Trade Facilitation Indicator Handbook;
  • La Huerta Year 1 Annual Work Plan;
  • USAID report entitled A Comprehensive Approach to Trade Facilitation and Capacity Building;
  • Informe de Resultados Estudio de Tiempos de Despacho (ETD) Regional Plan de Acción Regional (2021) by Autoridades de la Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA); and,
  • Safe Trade for Sustainable Development the OIE and its contribution; and
• Provide input and review of terms of reference for the Evaluation Services, including Baseline Study; Midterm Evaluation and Final Evaluation;
• Serve as an evaluation team technical reviewer of bids (proposals);
• Serve as a peer reviewer of Baseline Study, which includes the following:
  • Participate in orientation session with selected contractor;
  • Review and provide feedback on the Baseline Study outline and survey questions, and planned graphs and tables;
  • Review and provide written feedback on the first full draft;
  • Review and provide written feedback on the final full draft;
  • Participate as needed in USDA review sessions and comments; and
  • Support any review responding to USDA feedback prior to report being finalized.
• Complete other related tasks as requested by the IESC Home Office MEL director.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Comments on terms of reference for a baseline study, midterm evaluation and final evaluation. IESC will develop the terms of reference for the baseline study, midterm evaluation, and final evaluation. Provide comments in the document to strengthen the approach and methodology.

Deliverable 2: Technical review of bids for MEL services. Serve as a technical reviewer of bids received for the MEL Services; services proposed are specific to the baseline study, midterm evaluation, and final evaluation. Provide inputs using IESC template for bid evaluation.

Deliverable 3. Review of baseline study outline and survey questions, and planned graphs and tables. Provide detailed feedback to strengthen the methodology, ensure impartiality and applicability of tools developed, and ensure that proposed tables and graphs include strong supporting data, both in the draft document and separately through e-mail or meetings as necessary.

Deliverable 4. Feedback on first full draft of baseline study. Provide comments in the document and in accompanying communication to strengthen the baseline study.

Deliverable 5. Provide written feedback on final full draft of baseline study. Provide comments in the document and in accompanying communication to strengthen the baseline study.

Deliverable 6. Provide support both oral and written feedback post-USDA feedback on final baseline study. Provide review of USDA comments, participate in any clarification guidance to MEL services firm, and provide final quality review prior to re-submission to USDA.

Qualifications

• Masters’ degree in international policy, economics, business administration, or relevant field.
• Experience with USDA and/or USAID Monitoring and Evaluation indicators and evaluations. Experience with USDA highly preferred
• At least eight years of technical evaluation and writing experience five years of which are related to trade facilitation indicator evaluations and agricultural indicators such as Feed the Future or USAID Trade Capacity Building indicators.
• At least five years of implementing development projects, including managing teams or groups to a common goal(s) that overcome challenges or impediments to development challenges.

No international travel is anticipated for this assignment. All deliverables will be in English.

About the Organization

IESC – the International Executive Service Corps – is a U.S.-based nonprofit that seeks private enterprise solutions to problems of poverty in developing countries and around the world. By providing a mix of technical assistance and volunteer expert support, IESC works with emerging industries, financial institutions, and governments to stabilize economic environments, increase opportunity, and promote growth